Crockpot Peanut Chicken

Green Girl in Wisconsin has asked us for crockpot recipes.  I love cooking in the crockpot and concur with Green Girl that crockpot meals bring inner peace.

Here's one of my husband's favorites.  My son also likes it, and he can be pretty picky.  He calls it Crackpot Chicken, because that's how he rolls.  

I love how it tastes, and also that I can make it with as much or as little chicken as I need for a meal.  If you are making a smaller amount of chicken, use a smaller crockpot.

Youngest Daughter says that peanut butter doesn't go with chicken, so she won't eat it.

CrockPot Indonesian Peanut Chicken Recipe

The Ingredients.

--about 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken (breasts or thighs). Cut large pieces in half.

-- 2 T soy sauce

-- 2 chopped cloves of garlic

-- 1 1/2 t sesame oil

-- 1/4 t cayenne pepper

-- 1/3 cup peanut butter

-- 1/2 t ground ginger

--  2 Tbsp white or brown sugar

-- vegetables (optional) - you can add a variety of other vegetables:  cubed sweet potatoes, corn kernels, sweet red pepper – whatever you think makes it good.

-- garnish with sesame seeds and lime wedges; optional

The Directions.

--put the peanut butter into your crockpot and turn it to high so it can begin to melt

--add the other sauce ingredients

--stir to mix

--add your chicken; toss to coat.

Cover and cook on low for 1.5-3 hours. This is done when the chicken is cooked through and has reached desired tenderness.  If your crockpot isn't at least 2/3 full, keep an eye on it so the peanut butter doesn't burn. You may need to stir a few times.

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I got this recipe from Stephanie O'Dea's blog, A Year of Slow Cooking, which has a cajillion crockpot recipes.  She made it with frozen chicken, but I can never bring myself to put frozen meat in the crock pot.  Her recipe also calls for cooking it for a much longer time, but I've found that does not make for a desirable texture for the chicken.  I usually put it in the crockpot in the mid-afternoon to have it ready for dinner at around 6 or 7 pm.